Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970)

Preface: The Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property was adopted at The General Conference of UNESCO (16th Session), Paris, on 7 Nov., 1970.

“…that the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property is one of the main causes of the impoverishment of the cultural heritage of the countries of origin of such property and that international co-operation constitutes one of the most efficient means of protecting each country’s cultural property against all the dangers resulting there from.”

Category

Conventions

Date

1970

Promulgation

The General Conference of UNESCO (16th Session), Paris, 7 Nov. 1970

Descriptions

• The Convention encourages cooperation among nations to prevent the illicit movement of cultural property across borders. States of origin can request assistance from other nations in recovering illegally obtained cultural property; however, the Convention stipulates the state will pay just compensation to innocent purchasers or those who hold valid title to the property.
• The Convention suggests that states declare some cultural property as inalienable to help prevent its export and, where necessary, facilitate its recovery.
• The Convention recommends the development of an export certification program to help control the flow of cultural property and to provide an authenticated provenance for the object. Much of the responsibility for controlling the illegal flow of cultural property is placed on the states of origin.

Source

Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970)

http://www.un-documents.net/cppiiecp.htm

Download

Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970)

  http://orcp.hustoj.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/221213E.pdf

References

• Recommendation on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1964). http://orcp.hustoj.com/2015/10/24/illicit-import-1964/
• Recommendation on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1964). http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001145/114581f.pdf#page=149
• Subsidiary Committee of the Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (UNESCO, Paris, 1970)
•  The Fight against the Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Objects: the 1970 Convention: Past and Future.
• SAFE/Saving Antiquities for Everyone. http://savingantiquities.org/a-global-concern/china/
• Fighting Illicit Traffic. http://icom.museum/programmes/fighting-illicit-traffic/
• Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/illicit-trafficking-of-cultural-property
• Hilgers, L. (2013). Tomb Raider Chronicles. Archaeology, 66(4), 55–60. Tomb Raider Chronicles

Experts Believe that 100,000 looters are currently active in China, with more than 400,000 ancient graves robbed in the last 20 years alone.

—Lauren Hilgers, “Tomb Raider Chronicles,” June 10, 2013

Red List of Chinese Cultural Objects at Risk

This Red List has been designed as a tool to assist museums, dealers in art and antiquities, collectors, and customs and law enforcement officials in the Identification of objects that may have been looted and illicitly exported from China. To facilitate identification, the Red List illustrates a number of categories of objects that are at risk of being illicitly traded on the international antiquities market.

Objects of the types illustrated hereafter are protected by Chinese legislation that specifically prohibits their unauthorized export and sale. Therefore, ICOM appeals to museums, auction houses, dealers in art and antiquities, and collectors not to purchase such objects without first having checked thoroughly their origin and provenance documentation.

Because of the great diversity of Chinese objects, styles and periods, the Red List of Chinese Cultural Objects at Risk is not exhaustive, and any antiquity originating from China should be subjected to detailed scrutiny and precautionary measures.

Download the Red List of Chinese Cultural Objects at Risk in English: Red List of Chinese Cultural Objects at Risk

Intellectual Property